data for democracy and civil rights

About

The Voting Rights Data Institute is a 6-week summer program of the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group (MGGG), a Boston-based team of mathematicians and computer scientists working on U.S. redistricting. The dates of the program are Monday June 4 – Friday July 13, 2018. (Note: see our application page for info about a later start date for students on the quarter system.)

We invite applications from students to engage in a wide range of activities to support the research of MGGG. We will select up to 35 undergraduates and 5 graduate students to participate.

Activities

Work will take place in a group setting, with undergrads working independently and in teams, supervised by graduate students and faculty. Groups will rotate through collaborative workspace at Tufts, MIT, and Harvard. Admitted students will be offered travel funding, housing in apartment-style dormitories, and a living stipend.

Concrete goals of the work include the following:

Use census data and GIS shapefiles to compile data-rich population graphs for all 50 states at the census block and VTD (voting tabulation district) levels

Compile political outcome data from as many contests as possible

Set up models for districting in selected city councils and house-to-senate legislative district matchings in selected states

This program will provide opportunities to meet mathematicians, computer scientists, political scientists, law professionals, and civil rights organizers.

All students will gain at least the following experience through the program.

Basic skills with python, Sage, and GIS

Data science applied to current social and political problems

Mathematical modeling for study of demographics and politics

In-depth introduction to the legal, political, and technical issues in electoral redistricting

There should be ample opportunities to publish pieces of the project and to present at conferences. Students will be encouraged (but not required) to stay involved with MGGG up to and after the 2020 Census.